29 April 2013 at 9:00 am
Update on sending promotional materials to Viet Nam
Education New Zealand’s office in Viet Nam is advising institutions on sending materials to Viet Nam to declare their value as zero if the materials are not for onward sale or at least ensure the declared value is less than 1 million Vietnam Dong (VND) (NZ$56).
A Vietnamese Government circular also states that if the declared value of goods for onward sale, and sent by a courier company, is less than 1 million VND, no import duty needs to be paid. Over this amount, import duty must be paid.
In addition, all importers of “cultural goods” must obtain a cultural licence from the Department of Information and Communications, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
“Cultural goods” includes written materials such as education promotion resources.
If you are sending materials to education agents, they should be able to obtain the cultural licence. If you planning to send materials elsewhere, and assistance is required, please contact in advance the New Zealand Embassy in Ha Noi or the New Zealand Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City for more information.
Other tips for institutions sending materials to Viet Nam include:
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You should send materials well in advance of any planned events
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If import duty has to be paid, please aarrange with your freight company for the sender (rather than receiver) to cover this cost – this speeds up the process for the Embassy or Consulate if there are any problems
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If arranging materials to be sent to Viet Nam from third countries, remember to instruct foreign printers accordingly
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Remember also to include this information when organising shipments through BPO Intelligence (BPO)
